Jake Lorence is an accomplished employment attorney who advises employers and higher education institutions on complex workplace and employee relations issues. Drawing on his legal experience while serving in the military and in-house, Jake brings disciplined judgment, trial experience, and a practical, solutions-oriented approach to client service.
Jake conducts and advises on internal investigations involving harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and other sensitive issues. He regularly advises employers on employment compliance matters, including day-to-day counseling on employee relations issues throughout the employee lifecycle. He provides guidance on federal, state, and local employment law requirements, including wage and hour, employee leave, and classification issues, and drafts and negotiates employment-related agreements as well as workplace policies. Jake also represents employers in administrative proceedings and investigations before federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Minnesota Department of Human Rights. He also represents clients in employment litigation in federal and state courts across the country.
Before joining private practice, Jake served as Associate General Counsel for a large multi-state restaurant franchisee and a commercial real estate company, where he advised executives and front-line supervisors on a wide range of employee relations issues, such as: Title VII, ADAAA, FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, ADEA, OWBPA, PWFA, FMLA, FCRA, OSHA, GINA, USERRA, WARN, Workers Compensation, NLRA and state law equivalents. This in-house experience informs his pragmatic approach and focus on delivering actionable, business-oriented guidance.